Stephen A. Smith is staying in his lane — and that lane pays considerably better than the Oval Office. The ESPN provocateur, who spent the better part of a year teasing a 2028 presidential run, slammed the door on the idea during the debut episode of Sean Hannity’s new podcast, citing the one consideration he wasn’t willing to negotiate: his paycheck.
The 58-year-old “First Take” host appeared on “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” and waved off months of speculation with characteristic bluntness, telling the Fox News anchor that the math simply didn’t work. Smith earns a reported $33 million annual salary from ESPN and SiriusXM, a figure that climbs to nearly $40 million when his YouTube and podcast revenue is folded in. The U.S. president, by comparison, earns $400,000 a year.
The Money Killed the Campaign
When Hannity pressed him directly — “I think it’s all bulls‑‑‑. I don’t think you’re running. Am I right?” — Smith didn’t hedge.
“I don’t think I’m running either, because I got to give up my money,” Smith replied. “Yeah, I ain’t giving up my money, Sean.”
The salary disclosure, first detailed by The New York Times, underscored what had become a worst-kept secret in political and media circles: Smith’s flirtation with a White House bid was always going to collide with the financial reality of his sports media empire. He recently launched a political talk show on SiriusXM, “Straight Shooter with Stephen A,” further cementing his pivot toward commentary rather than candidacy.
The decision, announced on the March 9 episode of Hannity’s podcast, ends roughly a year of speculation that Smith himself fueled. On April 7, 2025, he posted on social media that he was “officially leaving all doors open,” writing that he hated “the thought of being a politician” but was “sick of this mess.” Days earlier, he had told reporters he didn’t “give a damn about the office” and preferred sparring with politicians to becoming one.
A Year of Mixed Signals
The mixed messages only intensified. On April 30, 2025, President Trump phoned into a NewsNation town hall and publicly endorsed the idea of Smith running, praising his entertainment instincts and predicting he would do well. Smith responded by escalating his own rhetoric rather than tamping it down.
During a July 27, 2025, appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” Smith told Jonathan Karl the Democratic Party looked rudderless. “One party has a lead in Donald Trump,” Smith said. “Nobody can refute that. He is the leader of the GOP and the Republican Party. Make no mistake about it. The Democrats don’t have a leader.” He rattled off names — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, Jasmine Crockett — and dismissed each as a national standard-bearer.
By February 2026, the speculation reached its peak. In an interview with Robert Costa that aired on CBS Sunday Morning on February 15, Smith acknowledged he was “giving strong consideration to being on that debate stage for 2027” as a Democratic primary contender. The interview, previewed on February 13, signaled that Smith intended to spend the year studying policy. “I’ve got this year coming up 2026, to think about it, to study, to know the issues,” he told Costa.
Less than a month later, on March 9, that posture collapsed under the weight of a contract.
Praise for Rubio, Moore and Shapiro
Even as he closed the door on his own ambitions, Smith used the Hannity appearance to grade the field. He singled out Secretary of State Marco Rubio for praise, joking that he would vote for Rubio over Democrats Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris if forced to choose. He also reiterated his admiration for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, both of whom he has repeatedly named as Democrats capable of restoring credibility to the party.
“When we look towards 2028, for example, we see a guy like Governor Wes Moore, who I like a lot, and I think is very capable, a Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, who I like and I think is very, very capable,” Smith said in the earlier ABC interview. “But when you talk about a national voice for the Democratic Party, it is literally non-existent.”
Smith’s withdrawal from the speculative field removes one of the more unconventional figures from the early 2028 conversation. Past polling consistently suggested he faced a steep climb with primary voters, though his name recognition rivaled that of any sitting governor.
For now, the loudest voice in sports talk will remain just that — a voice, not a candidate. Smith made clear he intends to keep needling political leaders rather than joining their ranks, a role that has powered his rise from ESPN debate-show fixture to one of the highest-paid personalities in American media. The Democratic field heading into 2027 will have to look elsewhere for a disruptor. And the man once floated as a wild-card contender will spend 2028, like every other election year of his career, behind a microphone instead of a podium.